The present invention relates generally to stationery products, and, more specifically, to adhesive labels.
The ubiquitous adhesive label is available in a myriad of configurations for use in various applications, including specialty applications. The typical adhesive label includes pressure sensitive adhesive on its back side initially laminated to an underlying release liner. The release liner is typically coated with silicone to provide a weak bond with the adhesive for permitting the individual removal of labels from the liner when desired.
Adhesive labels may be found in individual sheets, or joined together in a fan-fold stack, or in a continuous roll. Label rolls are typically used in commercial applications requiring high volume use of labels.
More specifically, in the fast food industry specialty labels may be used in identifying individual food products in typical sales transactions. The label roll may be formed of thermal paper for sequential printing of individual labels in a direct thermal printer. Or, a thermal transfer printer may also be used.
The typical pressure sensitive adhesive label includes full surface adhesive on its back side which may interfere with the handling thereof during the food preparation process. An individual label identifying the corresponding food product is removed from the printer by the user who typically wears sanitary gloves. The label may inadvertently bond to the gloves, and this increases the difficulty of placing the label on the packaging for the intended food product.
Furthermore, the liner material used in the label roll results in waste, and correspondingly affects the cost of the roll. Linerless label rolls are conventionally known in which the front surface of the label web may be coated with a suitable release material, such as silicone, for providing an integrated liner in the web itself without the need for an additional liner sheet.
When the linerless web is unwound in the printer, it extends over a corresponding feedpath having several components over which the adhesive side of the web travels. For example, each printer has a platen or drive roller for driving the web along the feedpath. One or more guide rollers are also found in the printer for guiding the web through the printer and maintaining suitable tension and alignment thereof. And, a tear or cutting bar is also typically found at the outlet end of the printer for permitting individual labels to be severed from the distal end of the web after receiving printing thereon.
Since these exemplary feedpath components are directly exposed to the adhesive on the linerless web, they can accumulate adhesive lost from the web over extended use of the printer. Adhesive buildup on these feedpath components is undesirable since it may restrain free movement of the web during operation and may lead to undesirable jamming of the web in the printer. And, the accumulating adhesive can require periodic cleaning of the feedpath components during routine maintenance operation.
Since every printer has some variation of these feedpath components, all such printers are subject to adhesive buildup when using linerless labels therein. Furthermore, the feedpath components in different printers are typically differently located along the feedpath, and adhesive buildup thereon differently affects performance of the printer.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide an improved linerless label roll for use in a printer having feedpath components exposed to the adhesive on the roll.